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This is far more than an inspirational guidebook for single parents struggling to raise children in a difficult world. The Power of Presence (Grand Central, $26) is also a moving memoir. Joy Thomas Moore is the mother of Wes Moore, the author, commentator, and now president of the Robin Hood Foundation whose own story of transforming from a troubled African-American adolescent to Rhodes Scholar became a national bestseller. His mother, whom he credits for much of his success, turns out to have a life story equally compelling. Joy Moore’s book recounts how she found her way through ill-considered decisions, personal tragedy, financial hardship, family medical crises, and the pressures of raising three small children alone. A successful businesswoman today, the life lessons she shares are wise, never preachy, and full of candor and grace. Woven into her narrative are poignant stories of other women she has met along the way who exemplify strength, resilience, and her secret sauce of parental success, “the power of presence” in one’s children’s lives.

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright knows a thing or two about what it means to be free—and what it feels like when freedom gets taken away. So who better than Secretary Albright to alert us to the perils of demagogues who assault trusted democratic institutions and show contempt for the rule of law? And who better to alert us to the risks of being complacent in response? Secretary Albright was a child when her family was twice driven from their home in Czechoslovakia, first by the Nazis, then after World War II by an aggressive Communist regime. In 1948, her family came to the United States, where she finished her schooling, raised three daughters, entered public service, and became one of the leading voices shaping U.S. foreign policy. In her sixth and latest book, Fascism—A Warning(Harper, $27.99), she draws on her personal and diplomatic experiences, and examples of despots from the last century—and now—to explain why in the Trump era we shouldn’t be lulled into a false confidence that the United States is immune to a disturbing worldwide trend. If you think it can’t happen here, think again.

Not until publication of For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics(St. Martin’s , $28.99) has our country acknowledged or fully appreciated how four African American women—the self-proclaimed “colored girls”—have so deeply influenced contemporary American politics. This book, written with candor and humor by Donna Brazile, Yolanda Caraway, Leah Daughtry, and Minyon Moore, recounts how these “colored girls” found their paths in politics and at the center of the Democratic Party, working in every Democratic presidential campaign since 1984 and inside the last two Democratic administrations. Each woman alone is worthy of her own biography. But taken together, the stories of Brazile, Caraway, Daughtry, and Moore offer a unique and welcome primer on political activism, progressive social movements, party politics, and the nobility of public service. Their story is an important slice of American history, and a very enjoyable read to boot.